Greater Vancouver condo prices drop for the first time since 2014: report

Condo prices in Vancouver have dipped for the first time since 2014, a report by real estate firm Royal LePage suggests.

In Wednesday’s report showed that prices for condos in the region dropped to $668,389, a 2.8 per cent dip since this time last year.

The report said government intervention, like the vacant homes tax and the mortgage stress test, was affecting prices in B.C.

Overall home prices in Greater Vancouver slipped for the second quarter on a ear-over-year basis. Aggregate prices falling 4.1 per cent in the second quarter to $1,208,674.

The slump has spread to other cities within the Lower Mainland as prices in Surrey, Langley and Richmond falling 3.2 per cent, 4.4 per cent, and 4.1 per cent, respectively.

Properties in the wealthier parts of the region, like West Vancouver, North Vancouver and Vancouver itself also slipped in value, dropping 7.6 per cent, 4.2 per cent, and 4.7 per cent year-over-year, respectively.

“The slowdown that initially began in the Lower mainland’s most expensive trading areas, Vancouver and the region’s North Shore, has moved to the relatively affordable suburbs, as the policy-driven housing downturn nears the three-year mark,” said Royal LePage CEO Phil Soper.

“Home price trends lag behind changes in home sales activity. With one of the strongest economies in the country, I would expect the recovery in sales volumes to begin this fall, with a slow recovery in home prices to follow. Other regions in the province such as Kelowna and Victoria have held up reasonably well so far.”

Although cities like Montreal and Toronto are expected to see an increase in home prices, leading to a modest national uptick of 0.4 per cent compared to this time last year, those trends won’t be replicated in Greater Vancouver.

The real estate firm said weakness in that market is expected to continue, with home prices slipping by 5.5. per cent compared to end of year 2018.